Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Aesop’s Fables

イラスト　myi　　　ブログ　sorairoiro

Miser

(Aesop’s Fables)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese ・ English ・ Chinese

Japanese & English ・Japanese & Chinese

　A miser turned his wealth into gold

　and buried it in the ground.

　After that, he felt as if he buried his life and energy altogether with it.

　So, he went to check his hidden wealth every day.

　A tradesman observed the miser and found out why he came every day.

　So he dug up soil after the miser had gone, and stole the lump of gold.



　The next day, when the miser came, the hole was empty.

　He was tearing his hair and began to cry bitterly.

　A man saw him crying and addressed him anxiously.  But when he realized why,

“Well then, it is no use crying.

　Because, when you even had a lump of gold, it was virtually non-existent.

　So, why don’t you get a stone, and bury one instead of gold,

　and you’d better take it as a lump of gold.

　I am sure the stone would do a job.

　You did not make use of the gold at all when it was there, didn’t you.”



　This story tells that no matter how rich you are, if you just keep money and do not use it, you are little short of a poor man.

The end

(Click here to return)